62 confirmed flu cases in district

There are now 62 confirmed cases, including both influenza A and B, in the district, according to the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit.

That's 19 more cases than last week at this time.

The elevated influenza activity in the district has resulted in outbreaks at some hospitals, nursing homes and retirement facilities. And similar flu activity is being seen throughout much of the province.

Louise Anello, the public health unit's manager of communicable disease control, indicated in a previous interview that the number of confirmed influenza cases in the district is only a snapshot of the activity in the community.

That's because the numbers reflect only cases that have been laboratory-confirmed and there many other people with the flu who don’t seek medical attention or are not tested.

“The ongoing recommendation is that people should continue to get a flu shot. It is the no. 1 method of prevention that is available,” said Anello, noting those who feel sick should stay home and not expose others.

Frequent hand washing and covering the mouth when coughing also are recommended.

Of the 62 confirmed cases so far this year, 50 are influenza A and 12 are the B strain. Last year during flu season, there were a total of 178 cases, including 160 of influenza A and 18 of influenza B.

The number of flu cases also is continuing to rise across Canada, suggesting the peak of infections with one of the dominant circulating strains could come within a few weeks — or even sooner, say infectious diseases experts, who describe this influenza season as “unusual.”

“We really haven’t seen a season quite like this in a little while,” said Dr. Michelle Murti of Public Health Ontario, referring to the mix of two primary strains making people sick during this year’s epidemic.

The dominant influenza A strain is H3N2, a nasty virus that tends to infect the elderly in greater numbers, with concurrent circulation of a B strain, a type that typically causes less severe illness. Influenza B can also affect older people and is the strain that most often infects children.

“Normally in a season, we’ll see a peak of influenza A happening some time towards the end of December or through January,” Murti said. “And as that is coming down toward the end of February, that’s when we start to see that peak of influenza B activity into the spring and later season.”

But this year’s B strain, known as B/Yamagata, began circulating in the fall, much earlier than is usually the case.